Toddler Refuses to poop

[kwilson]

My 2 1/2 year old has struggled with constipation. Now, after lots of bran, prunes and water, I know she has to go. However, I think she's afraid of possible pain again so she's holding it in. She gets stiff and won't sit down, just clenches everything and cries. What can I do to get her to relax and poop?

[MommaC]

Is she EVER relaxed? What about massage? I've heard the chiropractor can be helpful. When my brother was potty training, he didn't want to poop on the potty and would hold it in for obscene periods of time. I remember that my mom fed him applesauce every day with some mineral oil mixed in it (per pediatrician). People I babysat for mixed wheat germ in with stuff. It's good you're giving her water because without sufficient water, all that fiber has the opposite effect. I was recently told by a nurse that apricots and apricot juice seem to get things moving. Help your daughter be active (play tag or something) then relax with books or a movie. Let her sit in the bathroom while you or husband go poop. Sit with a magazine, have some conversation, read a book, wipe, and wave bye bye when you flush. It needs to look like no big deal. Be patient. Don't put any pressure on her. Don't let her know how emotionally invested you are in her poop. ;)

[jbryant]

My daughter had real bad constipation to. Sometimes 2 or 3 days would pass before she could poop again. When she finally did her poop came out the size of an adult males. She was in so much pain everytime she would try to poop. I did the prune juice and the suppositories but nothing seemed to work. This was a constant battle for about six months. I took her to the doctor and they prescribed her enulose syrup. She took 2 tablespoons three times a day (you can mix it with juice or milk if they wont take it alone) and within a couple of weeks it really helped. After about a month of taking it she had no more problems. We no longer have to use it.

[MommaC]

The pediatrician recommended dark Karo syrup as a stool softener for my infant daughter. Seemed to work.